1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to grasping devices and articles, including medical devices such as surgical dissectors, retractors and clamps, hand and foot coverings for medical and non-medical uses, and wrapping or covering materials such as hand and foot coverings to provide enhanced holding power on a variety of surfaces.
2. Background
In a wide variety of situations, it is necessary to grasp, grip and/or manipulate various articles that are difficult to hold onto as a result of smooth, wet or slippery grasp exposed surfaces, or surfaces that are otherwise difficult to grasp securely.
This is a particular issue in the medical area. For example, during medical procedures involving humans or animals, tissue is manipulated by a medical professional's hands or by various devices. More particularly, in traditional open surgeries, a surgeon's hands as well as surgical devices such as dissectors, retractors and graspers are employed. In the less invasive endoscopic procedures, such as laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgeries, various surgical instruments including cutting, grasping and positioning instruments as well as viewing instruments are inserted into a relatively small incision to enable the physician to perform the surgery.
However, many prior medical grasping instruments have not provided satisfactory holding power to some types of tissue, thereby limiting their utility in various procedures or at a minimum complicating the surgeon's work. Tissue that must be manipulated during a surgical procedure can have relatively widely varying surface characteristics and can be highly slippery and difficult to grasp or move.
Such prior devices that provide limited holding power also may force the medical professional to use significant grasping pressure in order to manipulate the tissue as required to perform the surgical procedure. Use of such high grasping pressures can result in increased long-term trauma to tissue.
Additionally, prior endoscopic and other surgical grasping devices often may puncture, bruise or otherwise cause long-term trauma to the manipulated tissue. Such injury complicates and prolongs a patient's recovery and can impair the function of the damaged tissue. In some cases, the trauma can also substantially complicate the surgery in which it occurs. Indeed, if the trauma is severe, an additional procedure may be required to repair the damaged tissue. For example, a stomach wall tear may cause bleeding and/or perforation and require one or more stitches. In the case of removal of the gall bladder, if this organ is perforated, infected bile can leak into the abdominal cavity and cause an infection or other problems.
Non-surgical medical procedures also can require critical manipulation of tissue or other materials that are difficult grasp. For example, childbirth and other obstetrics procedures can require applying a secure yet atraumatic grip. Livestock birthing and other veterinary procedures also pose such grasping requirements.
The environments in which medical procedures are performed also present wet or otherwise slippery ground surfaces. In particular, the floors of operating rooms and the like are frequently wet. Medical personnel of course must be able to maintain good traction on such ground surfaces.
Moreover, many situations outside the medical area can involve grasping and manipulation of materials that are wet, slippery or otherwise difficult to hold. For example, processing and packaging of foodstuffs such as meats, seafoods and the like involve manipulation of materials that are often difficult to grasp. The ability to maintain good traction on slippery floor surfaces is also required in wet working environments such as food processing plants, cleaning facilities, etc. Ice covered surfaces also can necessitate the ability to maintain better traction than that provided by standard footwear. Poolside or dockside areas also can be slippery and pose hazards.
Also, in many instances, it can be important to maintain a secure grip on an object even if the object is not inherently exceedingly slippery or otherwise difficult to grasp. For example, various approaches have been adopted to improve a user's grip on tools, sports equipment and other objects. Moreover, even if an object is not inherently difficult to grasp securely, during use the object can become difficult to hold, such as when the object or user's hands become wet as a result of perspiration or rain or other precipitation. The ability to enhance a user's holding power on such objects would be a significant advance.